WILDOMAR: Efforts proceed to bring clean water to neighborhood

A water tanker provides clean drinking water to a neighborhood on the Wildomar-Menifee border where residents suffer from poor water service. Officials are working to have two public water districts take over the service from a private firm.

Riverside County officials as well as state legislators are making progress toward bringing clean water to a neighborhood straddling the border of Wildomar and Menifee, county representatives said this week.

About 160 households in an enclave north of Bundy Canyon Road have been plagued for years by tainted well water and unreliable service provided by a private firm, the County Water Company of Riverside. Company owners have told the county they are going broke getting out of the business.

County attorneys are working through the process of taking temporary control until two adjacent public water districts can extend their systems to the community. For the county to take over, it will require agreements with the Elsinore Valley and Eastern municipal water districts as well as the private firm.

âWeâre working diligently on our end over here,â County Counsel Pamela Walls said. âIt just needs to be coordinated.â

She anticipates a meeting among the relevant parties soon.

âOnce everything comes together, preparation of the legal documents wonât take any time at all,â she said.

County control would enable Elsinore Valley to extend a temporary âlifelineâ distributing potable water to residents.

Intervention, however, hinges on a bill pending the state Legislatureâs and governorâs approval.

Senate Bill 1130 by Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, would exempt the districts from liability from the problems with the County Water Company and its system. It passed the Senateâs environmental quality committee by a 6-0 vote Wednesday, April 2, and is now before the judicial committee.

âAt least it is moving forward,â said County Supervisor Kevin Jeffriesâ Chief of Staff Jeff Greene. âThere was some concern that it wouldnât. But they did change the language a little bit and weâve been told that the attorneys are going to stay neutral on it. The fact that it was a 6-0 vote was encouraging.â

Jeffries has been a leader in attempting to find a solution to the residentsâ water woes.

Contact Michael J. Williams at 951-368-9690 or michaelwilliams@pe.com

BRINGING CLEAN WATER TO NEIGHBORHOOD

Getting clean water to a neighborhood on the Wildomar-Menifee border that has been stuck with a tainted supply and poor service is a complicated process that will require a series of actions:

Receivership -- Riverside County is working to obtain legal control of the tiny water district operated by a private firm, the County Water Company of Riverside.

Agreement -- County control requires an agreement among the private firm, the county and two public water districts offering to serve the neighborhood.

Legislation -- Intervention also hinges on a bill pending state legislative approval relieving the water districts of liability for the problems under the County Water Company.

Temporary Fix â" Completion of the above tasks would clear the way for Elsinore Valley to install a temporary water line bringing clean water to the neighborhood

Permanent Solution â" Both water districts have agreed on a plan to extend their infrastructure to the neighborhood so it will have reliable water service into the future

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